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Merry Christmas

Product Details

Mariah Carey's bright, penetrating voice raises up like a sonorous horn on this Christmas album. This is music for Christmas Day, when the gifts lay open and breakfast is on the table. Merry Christmas stands as one of the leading R'n'B albums for the holidays. That's saying a lot considering that the R'n'B genre is giving up some of the best holiday recordings these days. The vocal equivalent of a professional figure skater, Carey spins, leaps and twirls all over this material, including the Phil Spector hit "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," "Silent Night" and "Joy to the World."

Editorial Notes

Personnel: Mariah Carey (vocals); Dann Huff (guitar); Lenny Pickett (saxophone); Greg Phillinganes (piano); Loris Holland (piano, Hammond B-3 organ); Walter Afanasieff (Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards, synthesizer, bass, tambourine, claps, programming); Randy Jackson, Kirk Lyons (bass); Buddy Williams, Bernard Davis, Omar Hakim (drums); Dave Silliman (percussion); Gary Cirimelli, Dan Shea, Robert Clivilles, David Cole (programming); Melonie Daniels, Shanrae Price, Kelly Price, Cindy Mizzelle (background vocals).
Children's Choir: Wayne Daniels, Jr., David Daniels, Nathan Daniels, Jodi Walton, 3D, Jazzmin Walton, Janaye Walton, Tobitha Shinique Owens.
Producers: Mariah Carey, Loris Holland (track 1); Walter Afanasieff, Mariah Carey (tracks 2-10).
Recorded at the Hit Factory, New York.
All songs written by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff or traditional except "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" (Phil Spector/J. Barry/E. Greenwich) and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (J.F. Coots/H. Gillespie).
At this stage of her career Mariah Carey does not need to prove herself, but her voice is so powerful that with each new recording she, once again, reminds you: "Listen to what I can do." Vocal gymnastics and Christmas songs are not often thought of as a compatible combination, but on MERRY CHRISTMAS Mariah jumps, climbs, crawls, twirls and dashes her way through both traditional fare and original Christmas songs.
She shifts through styles, offering fans from all musical camps a gift of their own. Her "Silent Night" shows off a studied vocalization where liquid phrasing is key. "Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)" shows off a dynamic voice that is hard to match. She has fun with the Phil Spector goodie "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," a song straight out of '60s girl-group heaven. There is even a "Joy To The World" medley mixing the old and the new--the traditional Christmas song and the Three Dog Night hit. And, as usual, her gospel-voiced background singers are out in full force.
There are two ways to enjoy this album. One is to sit back and revel in Mariah Carey's vocal fireworks, and the other is to pour yourself a glass of egg-nog, get cozy by the tree and have yourself a MERRY CHRISTMAS.